A new microphone array for aeroacoustic measurements in a cryogenic environment

Abstract

Measurement techniques based on microphone-arrays are well-known and common practice on scaled models in wind tunnels with closed test section. Usually, full-scale Reynolds numbers are not achieved. To increase the Reynolds number measurements are performed in cryogenic and/or pressurized wind tunnels. At the DLR Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology the microphone array measurement technique was further developed to perform measurements in a cryogenic wind tunnel at temperatures down to 100 K. In order to use a microphone array in a cryogenic environment, coming to grips with cold hardiness and ensuring long term stability of the array fairing and the electronic devices, especially the microphones, are the primary challenge. In a first step measurements of the radiated noise from a single rod configuration have been conducted in the cryogenic wind tunnel DNW-KKK using a prototype microphone array designed for cryogenic environment. Measurements were carried out with a wide range of operational flow parameters. The measured sound radiation results showed a very good agreement with theory and a Reynolds number dependency of the measured and predicted sound power was shown.